


A change of heart

by IntellectualPencil



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen, Kidfic, Maybe - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, This will NOT be a shipping fic between Noct and Ardyn, Uncle Ardyn Izunia, as the story goes on, i cant remember if i wrote their ages in the first chap but noct and iggy are tiny, i dont know how to tag this bc nothing has happened yet, only weird uncle ardyn here, this is basically gonna be a sort of ardyn redemption fic, well its gonna be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-20 02:36:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17613848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntellectualPencil/pseuds/IntellectualPencil
Summary: This story will follow Noctis and Ignis as they grow up in the capital and learn that gods really can be dicks and that first impressions aren't everything.aka I got the idea for a sort of Ardyn redemption story. How you may ask? Weird uncle Ardyn





	A change of heart

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter of what will hopefully be a long and fluffy story of found family and saying 'fuck you' to the gods!
> 
> As I said, this is only the first chapter and depending on the response this gets, it might be the only one I'll publish.  
> I'll continue the story tho! I have far too many ideas to not continue it. But writing kids, and the ffxv characters is new territory for me (I have no clue how I'll manage Gladio rip) so any constructive criticism is appreciated! 
> 
> English is also not my first language

Chapter i

Ignis remembers the day that Ardyn first showed up. He knows for certain that he was not supposed to see the visitor. But the stranger and the two glaives passed him just as he was on his way to Noctis. So, really, it wasn’t his fault.

He wasn't usually one to hide from the people in the citadel. They all knew him and treated him with as much care and affection as they treated Noctis. But something felt off when they came down the corridor. He could feel it before he saw them. He had never felt anything like it before. It was like something thick and slimy and dark was coating the air. It made it uncomfortable to breathe and the air felt wrong against his skin. And he got this weird urge to hide but also to confront whatever it was. The urge to hide was stronger, though. So he hid behind the first thing he could find. A pillar. Not great, but if he didn't move, they wouldn't see him. The footsteps grew closer and so did the feeling of something wrong, but he held still and tried not to breathe. They moved on quickly down the corridor.   
He counted their steps. 'one, two, three...' and when he reached 12 he felt that it was safe enough to take a peak. Just when he leant out from behind the pillar to look, the man who was definitely not a glaive, cast a look behind himself and met Ignis eyes. 

Ignis had met a lot of people with peculiar eyes. He himself had very green eyes that Noctis insisted would turn to gold when they played outside in the sun. He had also seen the Kings eyes flash red when he used his magic. But Ignis had never seen anyone with eyes like the strangers. They were pure gold. And in the dim light of the corridor, they glowed. Whatever Noctis said about Ignis eyes looking like gold, he knew that his gold and the strangers weren’t the same. Noct insisted that Ignis eyes were ‘pretty’. The man's eyes were far from that. They looked cold and unforgiving. Not a hint of warmth in their golden glow.

He could see a flash of curiosity as the man looked at him and Ignis waited for him to reveal his presence to the glaives, or directly ask him who he was. But all the man did was flash him a strange smile before quickly turning his head and continuing down the corridor along with his escort.

 

Ignis waited against the pillar until the air felt normal again, and he could take the corridor to Noctis rooms without the risk of seeing the man again. Ignis guessed that the glaives took him to see the king. 

~

When Ignis arrived at Noctis rooms he was cold and a little shaken. The encounter with the stranger had left an unpleasant feeling in his stomach and he must have looked like it, too judging by the look on Noctis face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, cheerful little smile fading, tilting his head a bit to the side in curiosity and concern.

“Just feeling a bit cold.”

Noctis frowned a bit at the statement but quickly moved on. 

“So, did you speak with Dad?”

Glad for the change in topic, Ignis was quick to respond.

“I did! I told him what you wanted to do and he agreed that it would be nice to celebrate your birthday a bit more privately than usual.” Ignis told him, and seeing how Noctis lit up like the sun at the prospect of celebrating his upcoming birthday with his father, made the nervousness Ignis had felt when speaking to King Regis worth it.

Despite having worked and lived at the citadel for two years now. Speaking with the King (or just being near him, honestly) still made him nervous. It’s not easy for an eight-year-old to speak with the most powerful man in the nation. Even if that man was also his best friends father.

“Did he say anything more? C'mon Iggy! Tell me!” Noct exclaimed excitedly.  
Ignis laughed a little at his friend before continuing to tell Noct what his father had planned. It was actually mostly Ignis, though. The King had asked him what he thought Noctis would like. Seeing as Noct had talked to Ignis at length about what he wished for his birthday celebration, Ignis took the golden opportunity to try and get Noct the birthday that his six-year-old little heart desired. 

“You'll have dinner together, just the two of you, up in the rooftop greenhouse.” Ignis said, and when he noticed the little pout starting to form on Noctis mouth he added, ”It's already too cold outside to sit directly under the stars, but you'll still see them through the glass roof. After dinner, I believe you'll have dessert in your rooms. And before you ask,” Ignis interrupted before Noct could even get a word out, “the dessert is a surprise.” he said determinedly, crossing his arms over his slight chest. 

Noct begrudgingly accepted the statement and moved on.   
“What about guards? And the public celebration tomorrow, do I still need to attend that?” he asked, trying not to already be disappointed at the answers he knew he would get. 

Ignis had been trying to make it very clear to King Regis that Noct didn't want to have guards with them. He wanted it to be just him and his dad. The public celebration, though, there wasn’t much Ignis could do about that.

“He told me that he would only bring Clarus,” Ignis said. It wasn’t exactly what Noct wanted but it was certainly more than he expected to get. 

“Really?!” he asked, “You're sure he said ‘only Clarus’ and not ‘Clarus and the kingsglaive’?” 

“Certain.” 

“Iggy you're the best!” the younger boy exclaimed and wrapped his arms around Ignis midsection in a crushing hug.   
Ignis hugged him back before complaining about needing to breathe.   
Noctis, let go of him, laughing. 

“The public celebration will still be tomorrow, on your actual birthday,” Ignis continued, “but I think your father plans to keep it very short, with as little a crowd as possible.” 

“Hm,” Noctis made a little noise in affirmation, glancing at the tv that he would undoubtedly be on tomorrow. Then he focused his eyes on Ignis again and said:

“If Dad gets to bring Clarus then I want you to be there, too.” 

 

The King had asked him just about the same thing.

 

King Regis had been listening patiently to everything Ignis told him about what Noct wanted. Never interrupting but still asking plenty of questions. Ignis had been able to answer all of the Kings questions. But then the man had asked Ignis if he would join them, and there the boy didn't have an answer ready.

“... I'll leave that up to Noctis,” he said, suddenly remembering the nerves he had been able to briefly forget. “I'll be there if he wants me to, but it's up to him.” he finished a bit lamely.

The King had given him a fond smile and a nod and then told him to go tell Noctis about their evening plans. And it was on his way from his Majesty to Noctis, that he had seen the stranger. 

Suddenly remembering the strange man again. Ignis quietly, earnestly, hoped that he wouldn't ruin Noctis birthday for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the end!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!! (even if it was really short)
> 
> I got the inspiration for the story from this amazing art on tumblr!  
> http://milli-van-vanilli.tumblr.com/post/180009989430/so-i-finished-ff15-yesterday-the-ending
> 
> They have some A+ Ardyn art
> 
> edit: i updated with some fixed spelling errors. Life took over a bit but chapter 2 is hopefully coming soon.


End file.
